Into the Rose Garden Novel - Chapter 31.1

It was a chilly winter afternoon. The Viscount of Derbyshire, sharing tea with him, brought up a name he had never heard before.
“Do you know someone called Bendyke?”
Aeroc answered honestly.
“It’s a name I’ve never heard before.”
“You mean you don’t know the man who has turned the capital’s social circles upside down recently?”
The Viscount of Derbyshire said he had expected as much and excitedly began to explain about him. A young Alpha male who graduated with honors from the Capital University. Handsome and well-built. A masculine personality. A man with an innate sense for investment and cynical humor, captivating nobles of all ages and genders.
Aeroc enjoyed collecting rare books and artworks. In the same way, the Viscount of Derbyshire enjoyed collecting talented newcomers. Skilled in social circles and with a wide network, he met new individuals through various channels, assessed their future prospects, and actively sponsored them if he found potential.
“I see.”
“You must meet this man, if no one else. I especially wanted to introduce him to you.”
If Aeroc had to meet every person the Viscount of Derbyshire collected, he would need five bodies. Especially, Aeroc did not enjoy dealing with strangers. This was because many lowly individuals would bother him, clinging to his wealth, reputation, and appearance. The Viscount knew this, so when introducing someone to Aeroc, it was usually a brief greeting at a dinner or tea party where many people gathered simultaneously. It was rare for him to bring it up separately during a private meeting like this. The unusual emphasis made Aeroc curious.
“I’ll host a dinner at my house soon. You must attend. If you talk to Bendyke, you’ll understand why I’m doing this.”
“Understood.”
It was a request from an old gentleman who was a close acquaintance of his late father and who had pure affection and interest in Aeroc himself, without any special ulterior motive. He gladly promised to do so.

Besides the Viscount of Derbyshire’s invitation, other invitations often arrived. Most conveyed polite refusals, but among them were invitations that could absolutely not be refused. For example, the Duchess of Clayton’s dinner invitation was one such case; though not close enough to form a personal friendship, her immense authority and influence meant the invitation was merely a formality, tantamount to a summons to attend.

The elderly Duchess, similar to the Viscount of Derbyshire, had a slightly stranger hobby. Having no children, she had lived alone for a long time after her husband, the Duke, died some twenty years ago, which perhaps led her to often host very large dinner parties. She would gather all the famous figures in society who piqued her curiosity, especially inviting young people who were the age of her children or grandchildren. And just as large family gatherings of prolific families often unfolded, she hoped for sparks to fly among the attendees. She didn’t care if it was the spark of affection or the spark of envy and jealousy.

The reason for inviting Aeroc was also her hope to ignite some kind of spark. Indeed, such cases were quite frequent, making it a truly bothersome invitation for Aeroc. He genuinely wanted to refuse, but if he feigned illness, he didn’t know what rumors might spread in his absence, so it was better to attend.

He decided to attend quietly, causing no minor issues, and leave just as quietly, but indifferent fate was not on Aeroc’s side. His usually perfectly fine carriage, on its way to Clayton Ducal Castle, happened to have a problem. For some unknown reason, the carriage, while moving, jolted violently, and one of its wheels twisted severely. Further movement was impossible.

“I will call for another carriage.”
The coachman tried to hail a passing hackney coach. However, since they were far out in the suburbs, away from the city, there were no suitable hackney coaches. The coachman gestured frantically, trying his best.
“It seems hard to catch one here. If we walk a little further, there should be an empty carriage.”
“I apologize, Master.”
“It can’t be helped. You stay here. I’ll manage.”
Aeroc left the apologetic coachman behind and walked quickly. Catching a carriage was quite difficult, and it was only after walking for a long time that he managed to hail an empty one. By the time he finally arrived at the Ducal Castle, the dinner had already begun.

The Duke’s solemn-faced attendant guided him to the dining hall. As he passed through the door the attendant opened, he entered a vast space with five gigantic chandeliers arranged in a row. The dining table was so long that people seated at the opposite end looked like tiny miniature dolls.

“Count Teiwind has arrived.”
The attendant announced Aeroc’s arrival. At that, the Duchess of Clayton, seated at the head of the table farthest from the door, waved the handkerchief in her hand. The attendant gestured towards her.
“Over there.”
Aeroc’s seat, as it happened, was close to her. It was an exceptionally lavish reception for someone who was late. As he traversed the long dining hall, dozens of people held their breath, glancing at Aeroc. As expected, the room was filled only with young Alphas and Omegas. Some he knew by face, but most were strangers.

“Aeroc, you’re late.”
“My apologies, Your Highness. My carriage, as luck would have it, caused some trouble.”
When the Duchess, who hosted the dinner, chastised him in an elegant voice, Aeroc offered a suitable excuse and apologized.
“Thanks to that, I witnessed your graceful procession, so I shall forgive you. It’s fortunate you arrived before serving began. There will be ample time for conversation.”
With that, the old lady extended the hand holding the handkerchief, inviting a greeting. Slightly awkward, he bowed and offered a tender greeting, kissing both her cheeks, before taking his assigned seat.

“Many interesting figures have come today. If anyone passes your cynical standards, be sure to let me know. My goal today is to find someone who pleases you.”
The Duchess openly told Aeroc to evaluate others. The attendees, too, must have had ears and pride. However, to a royal family member, third in rank within the kingdom, who bowed to no one except the King and Queen, it seemed they were not worth respecting. Indeed, no one challenged her arrogant remarks.
Aeroc didn’t particularly enjoy this situation either. The Duchess played the role of a grandmother affectionately telling her young grandson to choose his favorite among toys displayed, but if those toys were people, it was simply creepy.
Chuckles.
Just then, a low chuckle from nearby dispelled his creepy feeling. While the Duchess’s bizarre behavior was amusing, the audacity of someone laughing so casually in front of a person addressed as “Your Highness” was remarkable. Curious about who had laughed, he turned his gaze in that direction.
Clink.
The glass in front of Aeroc rattled loudly. It didn’t fall over, but it made a sound loud enough to draw the attention of all the attendees who were already conscious of him.

“Aeroc?”
The Duchess, a little startled, clutched her chest. As her wrinkled hand, adorned with jeweled rings, touched her, the layers of pearl necklaces she wore clinked together. Aeroc was just as surprised. He asked in a voice low enough only for the Duchess to hear.
“Why is he here?”
“Who? Sir Capri?”
“No, the person next to him. The one who just laughed.”
“Ah. Mr. Bendyke.”
Despite his quiet question, the Duchess made a show of it. She curved her red-painted lips into a crescent moon, then conspicuously winked at the man. That made Aeroc even more surprised.
“Bendyke?”
According to Aeroc’s knowledge, that man was a violent lunatic. The Bendyke the Viscount of Derbyshire spoke of was a highly acclaimed investor and legal expert, a new celebrity in social circles. How could they be the same person? It was clearly an impostor posing as a celebrity.

“He can’t be that Bendyke.”
“What do you mean?”
The Duchess’s eyes sparkled. She then looked back and forth between him and Aeroc. It wasn’t just the Duchess watching with interest. Aeroc, having no intention of causing a commotion, whispered quickly in a low voice.
“He is a lunatic and a fraud.”
“Oh-ho.”
The Duchess made an exaggerated expression of surprise, casting her gaze towards him. Despite clearly hearing Aeroc’s words, he, for his part, maintained a relaxed expression and smiled as if nothing had happened.

“There was a misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding? You twice…!”
“I twice you?”
Just as he was about to raise his voice, Aeroc fell silent. There was no need to reveal that he had almost been assaulted by that man. But the Duchess, curious about the unfinished sentence, kept waiting. There was no way to avoid it.
“We have met twice.”
The one who satisfied the Duchess’s curiosity was the man himself.
“But it was a rather unpleasant incident. You may be curious, but considering the dignity of His Excellency the Count, whom Your Highness favors, it would be better to discuss it privately in a private setting later.”
His words, delivered in a slow yet firm tone, were polite but tantamount to a command. It was shockingly arrogant for remarks directed at the Duchess. However, Aeroc was the only one who felt a sense of incongruity in his tone. Even the Duchess herself nodded without a word.

“I want to hear it right away, but since Mr. Bendyke says so, I’ll save it for later.”
The Duchess even consistently addressed him as Mr. Bendyke. Aeroc, on the other hand, called him by his given name familiarly, but never addressed him as Count. This disparity surprised Aeroc even more. What kind of tricks was this fraud pulling to make the Viscount of Derbyshire praise him effusively and this eccentric and demanding old woman address him with honorifics? What had happened while he had been disconnected from social circles?

“If you already know each other, there’s no need for a separate introduction.”
“We haven’t even exchanged names.”
“Really? Even after meeting twice?”
Aeroc’s unnecessary addition to the Duchess’s remark only fueled her curiosity further. He closed his mouth in frustration and frowned. The man watched the scene with amusement. His gaze, full of obvious dark intentions, caused great discomfort. It was akin to hostility.

“There was no time for that. I’ll introduce myself now.”
Again, the man interrupted.
“Were we even in a relationship where we’d exchange names, to begin with?”
Aeroc couldn’t hold back and snapped. The atmosphere instantly turned cold. It was not the kind of remark one would make at someone else’s dinner party, especially during a first introduction. It was almost unbelievable that it came from the mouth of Count Teiwind, who had always been an excellent example to other nobles. Even if he had an unpleasant memory of the other person, there was no need to show such a low level of contempt in front of so many eyes. But Aeroc wanted to humiliate him, even if it meant risking a slight scandal. He desperately hoped that such public humiliation would provoke him into revealing his true self: a violent lunatic.

Contrary to his secret wish, the man’s smile, as he looked at Aeroc, remained unchanged. He chuckled, his eyes slightly crinkling at the corners, like a predator observing the pathetic resistance of a young animal. He paid no mind to Aeroc’s glare and continued to speak his mind.
“Kloff Bendyke. I run a small law firm. I have heard much of the illustrious name of the Teiwind family, especially that the current Count possesses not only remarkable insight but also a beautiful appearance comparable to a rose. Seeing you today, it is clear that you possess not only beauty but also the dignity of a rose.”
When his brief self-introduction ended, it was Aeroc who felt foolish. The man had not only sarcastically implied that Aeroc’s arrogant and narrow-minded attitude was considered intelligent, but also mocked him, saying that his appearance was not even alpha-like, and his nagging was like a flower bristling with thorns. Fury surged, and sparks flew in his eyes. The man still responded with a relaxed smile. If he could, he wanted to slap that shameless face repeatedly.